


Prince Nico

by omfg_otp



Series: One-shots [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Date, Fluff, M/M, Modern Royalty, Nico is a prince, Will is a Doctor, lots of fluff, mentions of Avengers: Age of Ultron, mentions of Game of Thrones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-29
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-03-26 09:10:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3845287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omfg_otp/pseuds/omfg_otp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Nico is currently sitting in the front row of the opening ceremony of some new hospital, he never really pays attention to the places he’s required to attend. His Father, the King, is always too busy for publicity stunts like these, so shoves the responsibility onto his children.</p><p>A Modern Royalty AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Let's all pretend that Italy still has a monarchy. Or maybe he's the prince of a fictional land like Genovia, you decide.

Nico is bored. So bored in fact, he can feel his eyes drooping shut as the speech he is trying to stay awake for drones on. He’s currently sitting in the front row of the opening ceremony of some new hospital, he never really pays attention to the places he’s required to attend. It’s not like he does anything important anyway. His Father, the King, is always too busy for publicity stunts like these, so shoves the responsibility onto his children. Nico never even gets to cut the fancy ribbon, that was always Bianca’s job. Glancing over at his sister next to him, he sees she’s listening with rapt attention. She has always taken her responsibilities more seriously that he ever had. Maybe that's why she got to cut the ribbon, he muses.

He is broken out of his reverie by the sound of applause. He joines in politely, glad the speeches were finally over. Bianca and he are then called over to the officials in charge of the hospital to cut the ribbon. Bianca is handed a large pair of scissors, posing next to the ribbon for the photographers, before snipping it, and declaring the place open. There is another round of applause, as well as more photo ops of him and Bianca shaking hands with the officials. It was all fairly standard really. He’s been doing this his whole life; a handshake here; a smile at the camera there. And then tomorrow's paper would be full of how the ‘nation's sweetheart Princess Bianca’ and ‘handsome bachelor Prince Nico’ attended yet another event. The press loves them, and apparently the people ate it up. Never mind the fact that he and Bianca were nothing like that at all.

But they put on the show anyway. Their Father always says it was Nico’s duty, to act like a perfect Prince, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to scream at the world that he wasn’t some Disney character.

“Stop pouting.” Bianca interrupts his internal whining, “there are still camera’s around.”

He sighs, but plasters his very convincing fake smile back on his face.

“Are we done here?” He asks his sister. She looks at him skeptically.

“The chief medical examiner has invited us on a tour of the facility.”

“Of course he has.” Nico says, rolling his eyes, but didn’t complain any further. It wasn’t like they could refuse.

The chief medical examiner, Doctor Chiron, is the one to give them the tour of the building. He shows them a lot of different wards, giving a brief explanation of each one. They meet a number of doctors around the facility. All of them seem a bit nervous, but Nico is used to that reaction. He knows that they’re more scared of his title than of him. He shakes hands, exchanges pleasantries, asks about their area of expertise, and they relax a bit. Nico is a pro at this sort of thing without even trying anymore, it just comes naturally.

They’re in the children’s ward when something actually interesting  happens.

“This is Doctor Solace.” Chiron introduces a young blond doctor. “He’s the head intern here in the children's ward.”

Doctor Solace then proceeds to _wink_ at him. Nico hides the shock he feels, and goes  to shake the man's hand just like he had done with the other doctors. Not many people have the gall to wink at the crown prince. He quickly tries to remember if he has ever been winked at before, coming up empty.

“It’s nice to meet you Doctor Solace.” He says, keeping his composure. It doesn’t help that the Doctor is good looking.

“The pleasure is all mine.” The blond replies, grinning brightly at him, before moving on to shake hands with Bianca. This Doctor seems a lot more confident than the others, a trait that Nico finds attractive.

Bianca asks if they can meet any of the children, which Nico shouldn’t be surprised about. Their mother had passed away when Nico was only ten, and Bianca’s maternal instincts had kicked in, taking responsibility for him despite the army of nannies that had been employed to care for them. He suspects Bianca misses having someone to mother, so of course she would want to see the children in the ward.

Doctor Chiron seems delighted at the interest, and ushers them towards the private rooms where the long-term patients stayed. Doctor Solace however claims to have rounds to finish, and hurries off in the opposite direction, but not before waving a quick goodbye. Nico tries not to think about how good the young doctors ass looks in his scrubs as he walks away. Those thoughts were highly inappropriate for the current situation. Doctor Chiron takes them to a private room just around the corner, where he tells them about the girl who’s currently occupying it.

“She’s been diagnosed with pneumonia, but is making a steady recovery.” Chiron explains before they go in, “We’re confident we will be able to discharge her in a few days.”

They walk into the room, and Nico spots the young girl, about 11 or 12 years old he guesses. She’s lying in a hospital bed, a few wires stuck to her body that are also connected to a heart monitor that’s beeping away steadily in the corner. She looks up as they come in, confusion etched across her face.

“Hello Emily.” Doctor Chiron says cheerily, and Nico can’t help but be impressed he knows her name. He must have hundreds of patients in this hospital.

“Hi.” The girl replies shortly. “Who are you?” She directs her question straight at him and Bianca. Chiron chuckles nervously, eyeing the two royals. Nico just waves him off, remembering how rude he used to be to people when he was her age.

“My name is Nico, and this is Bianca.” He gestures towards his sister. “We’re just having a tour around the hospital.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal. Because it really isn’t.

“Yeah, I didn’t think you were Doctors.” She says, looking at Bianca’s designer dress and his three piece suit. He smiles at that, immediately taking a liking to the little girl. And that was even before he spotted what she had to occupy her time with on the table in front of her. Mythomagic cards. Nico’s grin widens, stepping forward to take a closer look.

“Wow.” he says, genuinely impressed. “This is the Africanus Extreme expansion pack. Very rare.”

Emily’s eyes widen in excitement.

“You play?” She asks, and he hears Bianca mutter something about when does he not play. Which is stupid, because he hasn’t actually played in ages.

“Yeah, you want to play me?” He asks, and Emily nearly falls off the bed nodding her head with excitement.

“Yes, yeah I’ll play you. It gets kind of boring here,” She glances towards Chiron. “No offence.”

“None taken.” The doctor says, looking faintly amused at the turn of events.

“You guys can go and see other patients if you want.” Nico tells him and Bianca, which they agree to.

He sits at the end of her bed, shrugging off his jacket and loosening his tie to get more comfortable. They start playing, and he quickly realises she’s a very good player. Her strategy skills are excellent, and she seems to always know when to take risks with her cards. He becomes engrossed in the game, but because he’s a gentleman, and a prince no less, he doesn’t really try to win. What sort of an asshole would he be if he won against a sick little girl?

Emily wins in the end, like he intended her to. She has a cocky smile on her face that kids tend to get when they think they’ve bested an adult. Nico lets her enjoy her victory.

“You’re a very good player.” he remarks as they pack away the deck. She shrugs her shoulders slightly.

“There’s not much to do around here. I get very bored.”

“Oh, come on” A voice by the door says. Nico jumps in surprise, looking around to find Doctor Solace leaning against the door frame. “I thought I keep you entertained alright.” He’s still speaking to Emily. She rolls her eyes, but Nico could make out a small smile on her face.

“You keep me annoyed.” She retorts. Doctor Solace grins brightly at her before turning to Nico.

“I’ve been asked to escort you to Doctor Chiron, your highness. Apparently the press wants a statement.” He says, and Nico bristles a bit at the title. He’s never really liked any of that formality.

“Wait a minute,” he hears Emily say as he’s getting his suit jacket. “Your highness?” He looks back at her, smiling slightly. Her face contorts from confusion to shock.

“I guess I forgot to mention that, huh?”

“You’re Prince Nico?” She squeaks slightly, looking from him, to Doctor Solace, and back again. The doctor has an amused look on his face, but says nothing.

“Yeah, but it’s no big deal.” He says, because it isn’t. Emily looks quite shocked at the development though and he can’t really blame her.

“Am I supposed to bow or something?” She says finally, just as he finished putting on his jacket and fixing his tie. He chuckles slightly, shaking his head.

“You beat me at Mythomagic, so I think I should be the one bowing to you.” And he does, with a flourish. He probably looks like a giant nerd in front of Doctor Solace, but it was worth it when the little girl in the bed blushes and grins widely, looking like christmas came early.

“My sister is going to be so jealous. She has a huge crush on you.” She says, laughing. Which makes Nico a little bit uncomfortable, because he’ll never get used to his ‘eligible bachelor’ status given to him by the press, but he shrugs it off.

“Tell her hello from me.” He says to Emily. “And I hope you get better soon. It was very nice meeting you.”

And with that, he walks out the room, waving goodbye to his new friend. Doctor Solace trails after him, a small smirk playing on his lips.

“You’re good with kids.” He says as he leads Nico down the same corridor they’d arrive from.

“I have a big family.” He tells the blond doctor, which  is true. He has too many cousins to count really.

“And you play nerdy card games?” The smirk widens when Nico blushes. His tone is almost insulting, but Nico isn’t offended, he’s intrigued. Normally people scramble around him, kissing his ass just because of his title. But this Doctor Solace is another story entirely.

“I have hobbies, just like everybody else.” He snarks.

“Sure, your highness.” The blond says sarcastically, “Whatever you say.”

“Nico.” He says, before he can stop himself. “I mean, you can call me Nico, if you’d like.”

Doctor Solace looks very pleased at that, which makes him blush a little more. What’s it about this man that gets him worked up so much?

“In that case, you can call me Will.” The doctor replies, giving him a genuine smile this time instead of a smirk. Nico couldn’t help but smile back. The name Will suited him, Nico thought, Doctor Will Solace.

Will leads him to an elevator, pushing the button to the ground floor. He then proceeds to look at Nico, and Nico just stares back at him. He couldn’t really tell what the doctor is thinking, and their staring match continues for a few more seconds, before Nico breaks the silence.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Will shrugs his shoulders, but doesn’t look away.

“I’m just trying to remember this,” He says, “It’s not everyday you get to meet a Prince.” Nico scowls at his comment, and Will frowns. “What’s wrong?

Nico sighs, and shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter.” Maybe Will wasn’t different after all. Maybe he does  look at Nico and just sees his title.

“No, tell me.” Will urges, stepping forward.

“I-I just don’t like it when people only see me for my title, and not for who I actually am.” He explains, not looking at Will.

“Hmm. Okay, I get it.” Will says after a pause. The elevator doors open just then, and Nico is a little bit relieved to get out of there. “So you don’t want to be seen as Nico, his highness and Royal Prince, but as Nico, the giant nerd and has fun with kids?” Nico’s surprised that Will understands what he meant.

“Yeah.” He says as they walk side by side down another corridor. “That’s exactly it.”

“Okay, then I wanna know more about that Nico.” Will’s looking at him curiously, but Nico is starting to feel a bit weary. There had been people before, trying to get close to him, only to sell their story to the papers. But somehow he feels that he can trust this man. He understood Nico’s desire to be seen as the person he really is, and not for the crown on his head.

“What do you want to know?” He asks after debating with himself a little. Will seems to think about that for a second.

“What’s your favorite colour?”

Nico can’t help the laughter that bubbles out of him after hearing the question.

“Seriously? That’s all you’ve got?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Black” Nico replies, and Will looks scandalized by his answer.

“Black is not a colour.” The doctor says indignantly.

“Well, what’s your favorite colour?”

Will seems to think about it for a few seconds. “Probably yellow.” He finally says.

“Yellow? No one’s favorite colour is yellow. It’s so boring.”

“Oh, and black isn’t?” They both glare at each other, before promptly bursting out laughing. Nico hasn’t had this much fun talking to someone in a long time. Will’s snorting laughter is highly unattractive, but he somehow manages to make it look cute. Nico realises then he might be developing a crush on this doctor, something more substantial than his initial attraction to him. It’s quite an unusual thing to happen, Nico muses to himself, he doesn’t usually come across anyone who captures his attention, let alone keeps it there. Will seems to be a special case though, he’s a lot different to anyone Nico’s met previously.

“Maybe I should stop insulting your colour preferences.” The doctor says when they have both finished laughing. “I don’t really want you as my enemy.”

“Why? Because I can have your head chopped off?” Nico rolls his eyes. He’s heard that joke way too many times for it to be funny anymore.

“No, because I want to take you out on a date.”

Oh. Nico stops walking, eyes wide with shock. Will takes a few more steps before he realises his companion was no longer walking beside him. Looking back and seeing Nico’s shocked expression, he immediately tries to backtrack.

“U-unless you don’t want to of course, I mean I-” He lets out a frustrated sigh, “Was I reading this wrong?” He gestures to the space between them.

“No” Nico breaths out, “No, you definitely weren’t, It’s just…” He trails off, blushing slightly.

“Just what?” Will prompts, moving closer to him.

“I’ve never been on a date before.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal. It’s not like he’s had much _time_ to date, let alone someone he _wanted_ to go out with. Sure, he’s been ‘courted’ by a lot of women over the years, but that was before he told his father of his sexual orientation. That conversation had been awkward at best, but he’d left it knowing his father would no longer take an active role in trying to find him a partner.  Since then, nobody had approached him, which he was relieved about. But here was Doctor Will Solace, who was good looking, and kind, and funny, and his smile made butterflies flutter in Nico’s stomach.

“I’d like to go on a date with you though.” he adds, answering the man's question. Will smiles brightly at him, before pulling out a pen and paper from his doctors coat, and quickly scribbling something down.

“This is my number.” He says, giving Nico the piece of paper. He glances down at the untidy scrawl, before folding it, and putting it carefully in his pocket. “I’m sure you could’ve ask the secret service to get it for you but I wanted to give it to you myself.” Will half jokes.

“I think the secret service has more important things to worry about than my love life.” Nico replies sarcastically, earning himself a chuckle from the blonde.

“Don’t tell me you won’t have a background check done on me before our date.” Will snarks back, continuing their walk towards Doctor Chiron’s office.

“I’d be surprised if they haven’t done one already.” Nico knows his father takes security very seriously. He probably had all the hospital staff checked and double checked before he even considered letting Nico and Bianca step foot in the place.

They continue walking for a few more minutes, talking about nothing important. Nico is a bit surprised about how easy it is to talk to Will. It makes him happy though, especially now that he has the doctor's number safely tucked away in his pocket. They eventually come to the chief medical examiner's office, and it’s time to part ways.

“Remember to call me okay?” Will asks, offering Nico his hand. Nico takes it, assuming the blonde was going for a handshake, but ends up bending his head to kiss the Prince’s knuckles instead, which makes Nico blush all shades of red, and mumble something about not being a princess. Will chuckles at his reaction, and lets go of his hand. “You’d better get back to your sister before someone thinks I’ve kidnapped you.”

He smiles at the doctor one last time before entering the office in front of him. The interview with the journalist goes by in a haze, Bianca taking most of the questions for him. She seems to realise he’s somewhat out of it, but he can’t keep his mind off the cute blond doctor. She finally asks what’s wrong with him as they’re getting into their car.

 **  
** “I’ve got a date.” He tells her, smiling quietly to himself.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will takes Nico on their first date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a lot later that I was hoping, so I'm sorry if you were waiting for the second part. It took me a while to summon up the inspiration to finish this chapter, but it's finally done. I hope you like it.

Nico is staring at his reflection, not really sure how long he’s been there. In all his twenty two years of being on this planet, he’s never been on a date before. What in Hades is he supposed to wear?! Never mind the fact he has no clue what he’s going to be doing on this date. Glancing down, he quickly rereads the latest texts he and Will had exchanged, to see if he was missing any important information.

‘ _Can’t wait to see you again, sunshine :D Are we still on for three?_ ’

_‘Yes, but can I ask what the dress code is?’_

__

_‘Just wear whatever will make you feel comfortable ;).’_

That was a very strange notion for Nico, mostly because his outfits were normally planned weeks in advance if he was going out in public. This, coupled with the fact he never really got a _choice_ in the matter, has Nico extremely indecisive about what he should wear.

He wants this date to go well. He had really liked Will when they first met, and they’ve been chatting over text almost everyday since then. It’s safe to say his feelings towards the man have only grown stronger.

After much deliberation, Nico finally settles on wearing his favorite black skinny jeans, skull t-shirt and aviator jacket. Its a far cry from anything he would normally be allowed to wear in public, but Will said to dress in clothes that are _comfortable_ , so that’s what he’s doing.

He slips his phone into his pocket, giving his hair a quick ruffle to make it look even messier than it already did. His father hates it, but the royal stylist says it adds to Nico’s ‘rogue batchelor’ look. He’s not complaining.

He makes his way out of his room and towards the garage, where his driver is waiting. Will had sent Nico his address in a previous text message, which he relays to Jules-Albert before settling into his seat.

This is it. He is actually going on his first date, with a guy he likes. There are butterflies dancing around in his stomach. He wants this to go well so badly, but Bianca had told him not to get his hopes up. She had said there was no such thing as Prince Charming, the perfect man to come and sweep him off his feet. Nico, being a prince himself, knew that already, and he had told her so. In fact, he doesn’t even want a Prince Charming. A nice, normal guy would do just fine.

His father made no comment when Nico had told him about his date, just a little nod, to show he was listening. Nico was more than happy with that response, knowing full well his father could have made him cancel.

Nico startles out of his musings when Jules-Albert announces their arrival. Getting out of the car, Nico glances up at the apartment building in front of him. He can’t help noticing how ordinary it looks. An ordinary apartment building, with ordinary people living here, with ordinary jobs, and ordinary lives. Something Nico has never experienced before.

He tells Jules-Albert he’ll text when he needs picking up, before taking a breath, and making his way inside. He takes the elevator up to Will’s apartment, all the while trying to settle his nerves. He feels ready to combust with anxiety when he finds number 7, Will’s apartment, and rings the doorbell with slightly shaky fingers.

As soon as Will opens the door, Nico lets out a sigh of relief at the bright grin plastered across the blonde’s face. It makes him relax a bit, noticing how happy Will is to see him. He smiles back shyly.

“Hi”

“Your highness.” Will says sarcastically, giving him a dramatic bow. Which doesn’t make Nico blush at all. Nope. Not even a little bit.

“Shut up.” he mutters, studying the man in front of him. He’s wearing blue jeans and an almost-neon orange t-shirt. Nico should have guessed he would wear bright clothes, to go with his bright personality. It suits him, he thinks.

“You look good.” Will says, studying him back.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Will chuckles “I’ve never seen you in this sort of get up in the newspapers though.”

He rolls his eyes, and Will just laughs more, and invites him in. Nico stands awkwardly by the door, as Will gets his things together ready to go out. He can't help but think how ironic it is; he knows how to greet a member of foreign royalty correctly, or which fork to use for the salad course, but he has no idea how to act in a regular situation like this.

“You have a nice home.” He tries, which is mostly true. Everything is brightly lit, and there is a homey feel to the place, even if it is a bit cramped.

“It’s no palace.” Will replies easily, grabbing his keys and gesturing for Nico to open the door. “But I like it well enough.”

Will leads them out of the apartment building, talking about everything and nothing. He’s in the middle of explaining his opinion on the new season of Game of Thrones, before Nico realises he has no idea where they are going. Will seems to be good at holding his attention, even when discussing the most menial things. He supposes that’s a good sign if he wants to take things with Will further. But he’s definitely not thinking that far ahead right now. It’s only their first date after all.

“Will?” He interrupts Will’s rant about Daenerys Targaryen, and the doctor looks at him, cheeks blushing faintly.

“Sorry. People tell me I get a bit too excited, and start ranting-”

“No,” Nico interrupts again, “I completely agree she shouldn’t have locked the dragons up, it’s just, I have no idea where we’re going.” He gestures at the busy street they’re walking down towards to centre of the city. Will chuckles slightly, and shakes his head.

“Right, I probably should have mentioned it before. We’re going to see Age of Ultron.” Will says, with a proud look on his face. “I’ve wanted to see this movie for ages, I just haven’t had anyone to go with. And then you show up, a self proclaimed nerd, and I thought you’d like it.”

“Well…” Nico says, feeling a bit awkward. “You were right, I did like it.”

Will’s face falls slightly at his admission. “You’ve seen it already.” Nico notices the blonds disappointment, and hastens to add,

“I’d really like to see it again though, and with someone who actually wants to watch it.”

Will perks up again, and continues walking, a bounce in his step.

“Okay, great.”  

Nico smiles a little at the other man’s antics. He can’t help the little flutter in his stomach every time the young doctor does something cute. The way he sighs slightly when he feels the sun on his skin, or the way he wiggles his nose when he’s trying to think of something to say. Nico finds all of Will’s mannerisms simply...adorable. And Nico really isn’t the type of person to think of _anything_ as adorable.

They get to the movie theatre with ten minutes to spare, half of which is spent arguing over who should pay for the tickets.

“ _I_ asked _you_ out.” Will keeps saying,” _I_ should be the one who pays.”

“I should pay Will, it’s not like I don’t have the spare cash lying around, y'know, being the Prince and everything.”

“Well excuse me, _your highness_ ,” Will mocks “but you’re the one who's never been on a date before. I’m the one who asked you out, that means I’m the one who pays, and that’s final.” He huffs and crosses his arms, daring Nico to argue. They both stare at each other for a second, before Nico bursts into laughter

“Are you always this insufferable?” He asks, after his giggling had subsided.

“Yes.” Will replied grumpily.

“Good.” Nico smirked at the blush that crept along the blond’s face, thoroughly enjoying teasing him. “How about you pay for the tickets, and I’ll get the snacks?” Nico suggested, not wanting to miss the start of the film. Will grumbles his agreement, muttering something about buttered popcorn, before wandering off to buy the tickets.

Nico is hit by another wave of affection and attraction to the man as he watches the grumpy doctor walk away. Which has nothing to do with how snug those jeans look on him. It _doesn’t_.

Nico sighs and shakes his head, wondering for the hundredth time how Will is able to make him feel so flustered.

 ****  
  


* * *

 

 ****  


“That was _amazing_!” Will exclaims as they stroll out of the screen room. Nico quickly goes to drink the last bit of his coke, if only to hide the broad grin that is threatening to appear. He knew exactly how amazing Will found it, having watched the blonde's facial expressions more than the movie itself. He had already seen the movie, he reasoned with himself, and he found Will far more...captivating. The way his eyes lit up when his favorite hero pulled off a spectacular stunt, the way his forehead crinkled when he chuckled at the jokes, the way he leaned forward and frowned slightly when things got a little bit intense. It was fascinating.

“Hey, are you even listening?” He was shaken out of his musings by a slightly annoyed-looking Will.

“Sorry.” He smiles, “I was sort of distracted.”

“By what?”

“You.” His smile grows as he sees Will get flustered.

“What about me? Do I have something on my face?”

Nico chuckles at the doctor’s growing confusion.

“No, you’re just very cute, that’s all.”

Nico watches the blush spread over Will’s face, and can’t help but feel a little proud of himself. He’s never called anyone cute before, let alone to their face. It seems to be having the desired effect. After a few splutters, Will finally answers,

“Well, I’m glad you think so.”

“I’m glad I think so too.” He isn’t quite sure if that makes sense, but Will seemed pleased by it anyway.

The walk back to Will’s apartment is as pleasant as their walk to the cinema was, and like before, Will fills it with idle chatter, this time about the movie they had just watched. By the time they reach their destination, Nico is sure he could write a review for the movie from Will’s perspective. He would usually find this kind of frivolous ranting extremely annoying, but he hasn’t been bothered by it in the slightest. Will just seems so passionate and happy when he’s talking, it’s hard not to be infected with his excitement.  

Will suddenly falls silent, coming to a stop outside his apartment building. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, and the blush is back on his cheeks.

“So...um..” He starts, glancing around quickly.

Nico isn’t stupid. This is the part where they’re supposed to have a passionate kiss, leading to a night of romance. But that’s only in the movies, just like Bianca had said. He had already texted Jules-Albert to come and pick him up. And he doubts that Will would feel comfortable  having sex after their first date. It’s probably why he’s acting so awkward all of a sudden.

“I had a great time.” Nico cuts in before Will gets too embarrassed.

“Yeah,” Will nods enthusiastically. “It was fun.”

“And maybe,” Nico goes on, “we can do it again sometime?”

“I’d like that.” The blonde replies with a bright smile.

“Good.” Nico says, as he see’s a familiar sleek black car pull up to the curb. “My ride’s here, I should go.”

Will’s face falls for a second, but Nico still sees. _He want’s me to kiss him,_ he thinks in a panic, _I **want** to kiss him_.

And before he can hesitate, or screw it up, he steps forward. And again. And again, until he is barely an inch from Will’s face. The blonde doesn't flinch or back away, which Nico takes as a good sign. He reaches his fingers up, and brushes Will’s jaw slightly, before leaning up and placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

And then the moment is over. He steps away, his cheeks reddening, but not as much as Will’s.

“I’ll talk to you soon.” He manages, before he turns and strides towards the awaiting car. He doesn’t look back to see Will’s reaction, though he’s sure it was a positive one, seeing as the blonde hadn’t tried to push him away.

_That_ , he muses to himself, as Jules-Albert drives him back to the palace, _was a successful date_.

Or so he thought.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that's a cliff hanger. Yes, there will be a Part 3. No, I'm not sorry :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Will weren't as stealthy as they thought on their date, now Nico has to cope with information-hungry journalists, as well as an overprotective (and let's be honest, slightly overbearing) Father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, well this has been a long time coming.
> 
> I know some people have been waiting for a chapter for quite a while now, and I'm really very sorry about the completely non-existent updates. I suck, I know.
> 
> I hope you like it anyway!

Honestly, Nico should have expected this. His date with Will went better than he ever could’ve hoped. But it was too good to be true, because as he’s sitting, having breakfast with Bianca, his Father walks in and puts a newspaper down right in front of him.

 

_’Prince Nico: GAY?!_ ' The headline reads, and Nico feels his stomach drop to the floor. There’s a picture as well, slightly fuzzy, but still clear enough to see. It’s of their kiss. There’s a picture of him, on the front page of the newspaper, kissing a guy. Shit.

 

This is bad. So very _very_ bad. 

 

He feels Bianca lean in to read over his shoulder as he moves on to the article. Thankfully, there’s no mention of Will’s name. The article is more about his closeted feelings than the actual date itself, which relieves Nico no end.

 

He looks up after reading the last sentence, meeting his father's eyes. He doesn’t say anything, just waits for the inevitable rage to burst out. Surprisingly, that’s not what happens.

 

“I’m sorry.” His father says instead, and Nico’s eyes widen at the words. He also hears a small gasp coming from Bianca’s direction. His father never apologizes. In fact, Nico can’t recall a single instance of his father admitting fault of any kind.

 

“You’re not...mad?” Nico asks, more shocked at his father's behaviour than the article in front of him at this point.

 

“Oh, I’m mad alright.” Hades growls, sitting in his regular seat at the head of the table. “Those fools on your protection team, they’re who's to blame for this. They should have prevented this from happening, it’s their fucking _job_!”

 

Hades moves to pile some toast onto his plate, muttering obscenities under his breath. Nico takes this as a sign to continue eating, though he doesn’t have much of an appetite anymore. He can feel Bianca’s eyes boring into him, but he ignores her. 

 

“I don’t understand why you’re apologising.” He says quietly, pushing the cereal around in his bowl.

 

“Well, it’s not the most ideal way to come out to the entire world.” Hades says gruffly. “I know more than most people how tough it can be to deal with those leeches that work for the press.” He gestures to the abandoned newspaper. “We’ll have to deal with this very delicately if we want to come out of this on top. You have interview training all day today, don’t give me that look!” Interview training has to be Nico’s least favorite activity _ever_. “You need to be prepared for the shitstorm of nosy reporters and broken hearted fangirls.”

 

Nico sighs, accepting his fate.

 

“Oh, and Nico? I want to meet him.”

 

Shit.

  
  


* * *

 

  
  


“He wants to meet you.”

 

“Shit.”

 

As soon as Nico has left breakfast, he calls Will. He has no idea how to blond will react, or if he's seen the newspaper at all. Turns out, he finds the whole thing quite amusing, as long as Nico is okay with it of course. And Nico is… fine with it. It surprises him how relaxed he is about the whole thing. The main reason he had stayed ‘in the closet’ from the public was because he didn’t want any bad press for his dad, and his family. And if he's being honest with himself, he's getting tired of putting on an act for the reporters when they inevitably ask about this weeks 'fling' he is supposedly having with some actress or model. 

 

And when he hears how nonchalant Will is about the whole thing, he relaxes even more. But that's before he tells the blond doctor he has an appointment with the King.

 

“Are you serious? He wants to meet me already? We’ve only been on one date.”

 

“I know” Nice grumbles, flopping down onto his bed. “I completely understand if you don’t want to. I mean, he’s quite intimidating.”

 

“ _Quite_ intimidating?! He’s the _King_!”

 

“You never got this worked up when you met me, and I’m the Prince.”

 

“That’s because you were being a complete nerd. I’m comfortable around my own kind.”

 

Nico huffs a laugh, rolling onto his back to look at the ceiling. They’re silent for a few moments, but not awkwardly so.

 

“I’ll do it.” Will says after a while.

 

“Hmm?” Nico asks, forgetting the conversation in favor of listening to the blondes steady breaths.

 

“I’ll meet your Dad.”

 

Nico smiles at the determination in Will's voice, but can't help voicing his concerns for the other man.

 

“I hope you know what you're getting yourself into.”

 

“I haven't got a clue what I'm getting myself into, but it can't be all bad if you're there, _your highness_.”

 

Nico hears the sarcasm in Will's tone, but can't help the flutter in his stomach at the sweet words.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

After what seems like a couple _hundred_ hours of interview practice, his Father is finally satisfied enough to call a press conference about his ‘ _sexuality scandal_ ’, as one trashy tabloid had so delicately put it. There’s a lot of things about being royalty he despises, but being shoved in front of a camera and asked highly personal and invasive questions has to be one of the worst. 

 

Waiting backstage in the palace’s Media Centre, Nico can’t help but feel nervous. Screwing this up would not only mean he looks like a fool in front of the entire country, but he’d make his family look equally bad, and that’s not something he’d ever want. Disappointing his father and Bianca just isn’t an option. He’s going to go out there and charm the pants off those reporters, like he always does. 

 

He shifts nervously, pulling at his tight collar that is restricting his breathing slightly. The heavy suit he’s wearing is already making him start to sweat, and the packed room just beyond the curtains will no doubt make his perspiration worse.  

 

He looks down to check the time on his phone, realising he has a message from Will.

 

_ ”You’ll do great Sunshine, knock ‘em dead!” _

 

He smiles as he reads it, glad for the support even if they’d only been on one date. Nico had basically been on house arrest for the past few days, preparing himself for this very moment. The only reason he hadn’t gone insane was Will’s texts and late night phone calls. The man was obviously very busy, being a Doctor was no easy job, but he always took the time to message Nico throughout the day, making him smile. 

 

They’d arrange for Will to come to the palace the day after the press conference, and although Nico is excited to see him again, he can’t help but feel a twinge of nervousness at the thought of Will meeting Hades.

 

His Father was a difficult man to impress. Being the ruler of the Kingdom aside, he was an intimidating person, and incredibly protective of his children. If Hades didn’t like Will, then Nico would never see the young doctor again, and that was that.

 

“Your highness?” Nico jumps slightly at the sound of his title, looking up at one of the Media PA’s. “It’s time.”

 

Right. No point in worrying about tomorrow, he has to get through this first. He lets out a shaky breath before stepping out in front of the blinding camera flashes, and barrage of questions.

  
  


* * *

 

  
  


“You did great!” Bianca exclaims as soon as he steps off stage.

 

“Really? I don’t remember any of it.” He mutters, making a beeline towards his bedroom. He wants to rid himself of the incredibly restricting suit as quickly as possible. Bianca keeps up with him, recapping what the journalists had asked.

 

“Did you notice how many of them were asking about who you were with in the photo?” She inquires, and Nico can’t help but feel a flare of anger at the thought. 

 

The Palace Media team had issued a statement before the press had even been invited, stating that the identity of the other man would not be revealed under any circumstances, and that questions regarding him would all be met with the same answer; _no comment_. That had been Nico’s one and only demand before accepting the press conference. Unfortunately, it did nothing to deter the information-hungry vultures that had interrogated Nico for the past hour. Five journalists had out right asked who his ’ _mystery man_ ’ was, and at least eight had tried to ask questions that would trick him into revealing Will’s identity. 

 

Them outing him to the world, he can handle. Them writing shit about him, he can deal with. But them exposing Will’s identity, destroying his privacy, and dragging him through the media shitstorm right alongside Nico is what really gets him mad. Nico had learned a long time ago that he had very little privacy; it comes with the territory of being a royal, but he’d be damned if he let Will’s life be exposed to the whole country just because of one date.

 

“I’ll see you at dinner alright?” Bianca tells him as they finally make it to the West Wing of the palace and the family rooms. He mutters his acknowledgment, feeling slightly guilty about ignoring her on their walk back. She was no doubt trying to make him feel better, though things could really only go worse from here on out. Tomorrow Will was coming to the palace to meet his Father and Sister. 

  
That pack of vultures he’d just left were starting to look quite appealing right about now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There should only be one more chapter of this, but I seem to say that every time I update, so who knows?
> 
> Kudos and comments make my life infinitely better, come find me on tumblr @mortal-apollo!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are love <3


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